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Look Mom, I’m the Dumest One in My Clas!: One Boy’s Dyslexic Journey
Look Mom, I’m the Dumest One in My Clas is the true story of nine-year-old Sky Rota, who during the fourth grade discovers he is severely dyslexic, a disorder Sky and his parents aren’t familiar with.
Sky and his parents quickly learn dyslexia comes with as many gifts as it does challenges. Hopeful that his school would be understanding and help him embrace and develop his unique methods of learning, they soon realized that they would have to fight for him. Instead of encouraging Sky, his teachers punish him for his “weaknesses.” His school saw his dyslexia as a disability as well, labeling him as different and an outsider.
Join Sky as he and his family learn just how reluctant the education system is to accommodate the many different types of learners it’s supposed to teach. His bittersweet but ultimately uplifting journey of acceptance will prove that dyslexia is not a hindrance or disability – it’s a gift.
Sky and his parents quickly learn dyslexia comes with as many gifts as it does challenges. Hopeful that his school would be understanding and help him embrace and develop his unique methods of learning, they soon realized that they would have to fight for him. Instead of encouraging Sky, his teachers punish him for his “weaknesses.” His school saw his dyslexia as a disability as well, labeling him as different and an outsider.
Join Sky as he and his family learn just how reluctant the education system is to accommodate the many different types of learners it’s supposed to teach. His bittersweet but ultimately uplifting journey of acceptance will prove that dyslexia is not a hindrance or disability – it’s a gift.
126 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 24, 2017
5 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 12, 2017
This is an excellent book for parents of children with dyslexia as well as those with dyslexia. It will provide encouragement that you are not alone in your struggles. It also provides many suggestions on techniques which may help make life easier for someone with dyslexia. The examples are very specific too which is great. Often times books give broad examples which leave you wondering just what they mean or how you could do that but not this one.
The author is brutally honest about his experiences with his schooling (I believe it might have been a charter school?). And is honest about the bullying by his teacher at the school. It is heartbreaking but unfortunately happens often. He also speaks of his brief experience in a public school and inability to receive assistance which also happens all too frequently. He then goes on to speak of the extensive lengths his family has gone for him to attend an alternate school which can accommodate his learning style.
After reading this, I feel almost fortunate that our schools were too ignorant to accommodate my son's food allergy and we were forced to homeschool him starting in preschool. We were able to identify and diagnose his dyslexia and adhd early. We are using the correct curricula for him. He has several peers in his homeschool group which have left different schools because of similar situations as mentioned in this book.
This book may be the eye opener some need. It may be the encouragement others need. Or it may be full of recommendations that someone else needs. Either way, it is worth it to pick up.
***Review Update: After looking up the links about the court case involving the school and the teacher bullying incident / unwillingness of the school to accommodate the author's dyslexia and attention deficits, I am noting that the school was a private school and not a charter school as I had assumed. As an Occupational Therapist, I will say that unless a school is one which is known to specialize in such endeavors, I have generally not heard of anything favorable about private schools and accommodating those with any type of disability. I commend this family for attempting to get the federal courts to uphold the standards. Personally, I would hope someone would try with a non religious entity as I could see that possibly having a degree of success (the school in this instance was a religious affiliated school).
The author is brutally honest about his experiences with his schooling (I believe it might have been a charter school?). And is honest about the bullying by his teacher at the school. It is heartbreaking but unfortunately happens often. He also speaks of his brief experience in a public school and inability to receive assistance which also happens all too frequently. He then goes on to speak of the extensive lengths his family has gone for him to attend an alternate school which can accommodate his learning style.
After reading this, I feel almost fortunate that our schools were too ignorant to accommodate my son's food allergy and we were forced to homeschool him starting in preschool. We were able to identify and diagnose his dyslexia and adhd early. We are using the correct curricula for him. He has several peers in his homeschool group which have left different schools because of similar situations as mentioned in this book.
This book may be the eye opener some need. It may be the encouragement others need. Or it may be full of recommendations that someone else needs. Either way, it is worth it to pick up.
***Review Update: After looking up the links about the court case involving the school and the teacher bullying incident / unwillingness of the school to accommodate the author's dyslexia and attention deficits, I am noting that the school was a private school and not a charter school as I had assumed. As an Occupational Therapist, I will say that unless a school is one which is known to specialize in such endeavors, I have generally not heard of anything favorable about private schools and accommodating those with any type of disability. I commend this family for attempting to get the federal courts to uphold the standards. Personally, I would hope someone would try with a non religious entity as I could see that possibly having a degree of success (the school in this instance was a religious affiliated school).
May 23, 2017
This book explains really well the drama and heartache a child and family can go through when learning to adapt to a dyslexia diagnosis and how that diagnosis changes their lives. It also teaches the reader about coping strategies and the importance of resilience and teamwork in overcoming learning obstacles and fighting an apathetic school system not geared to support special learning needs. Anyone wanting to understand how someone with dyslexia experiences learning should read this book. Sky and several role models he mentions throughout could be Inspiring to someone facing similar challenges. True story!
April 29, 2017
This is not only a heart warming book, but is also a book with a very, very important message. Dyslexia is a problem that is prevalent with many students and it's upsetting that it's still considered demeaning.
Dyslexic students need to be taught in a particular way. As a student of Psychology, after reading this book, I can say that this book perfectly portrays the mental illness and the social perception of it, along with the way that it affects dyslexic children. Hats off to Sky for writing this book and sharing his insightful and inspirational story with us. It takes a lot of courage in today's world to do so.
I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone who is interested in the subject of mental illnesses, especially dyslexia, and the perception of a person that goes through it. Whether it is for personal, curiosity or research purposes, this book is extremely good.
Dyslexic students need to be taught in a particular way. As a student of Psychology, after reading this book, I can say that this book perfectly portrays the mental illness and the social perception of it, along with the way that it affects dyslexic children. Hats off to Sky for writing this book and sharing his insightful and inspirational story with us. It takes a lot of courage in today's world to do so.
I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone who is interested in the subject of mental illnesses, especially dyslexia, and the perception of a person that goes through it. Whether it is for personal, curiosity or research purposes, this book is extremely good.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews